The first time you raise a car over your head, your stomach does something funny. You have two thousand pounds of metal hanging on a few steel arms, your hand is on the control, and a quiet voice in the back of your head asks the obvious question: am I doing this right? It is a good instinct. A lift makes hard work easy, but it only forgives you when you respect the procedure.
This guide walks you through how to use a car lift safely, from the moment you pull into the bay to the moment the tires touch back down. "Car lift" and "automotive hoist" describe the same piece of equipment, and the steps below apply whether you call it one or the other. It covers 2-post, 4-post, scissor, parking, and motorcycle lifts, because the core logic of spotting, lifting, locking, and lowering carries across all of them. Daytona has helped shops and serious home garages across the US and Canada operate equipment since 1999, and the steps below reflect that experience.
What Is a Car Lift?
A car lift, also called an automotive hoist, is a piece of shop equipment that raises a vehicle off the ground so a technician can work underneath or around it at a comfortable height. Lifts either grip the vehicle's body at reinforced lifting points, or carry it on its own wheels via runways or a platform. Either way, the vehicle is held in place by mechanical safety locks once it reaches working height, not by hydraulic pressure alone.
How Do You Use a Car Lift?
To use a car lift safely, spot the vehicle over the lift's load center, set the arms or runways to the manufacturer's lifting points, raise it a few inches and shake it to confirm stability, then lift to working height and lower it onto the safety locks before going underneath. Always lower fully before driving on or off.
That is the whole operation in one breath. The rest of this article breaks each phase down so you can do it confidently, whatever type of lift you own.
First, Know Your Lift Before You Touch the Control
Every safe lift cycle starts before the engine is even off. Walk around the lift and give it a quick once-over. You are looking for anything that says "not today": frayed or slack cables, hydraulic leaks under the power unit, loose or cracked concrete around anchor bolts, worn lift pads, or a safety lock that does not click crisply. If something looks wrong, stop and get it serviced. Never rig or override a lift to keep working.
Confirm the rated capacity is visible and that it comfortably exceeds the weight of what you are lifting, including anything in the trunk or truck bed. Lift-related accidents almost always trace back to one of three preventable mistakes on the operator's part: rushing the vehicle into position instead of centering it carefully, guessing at where the weight balances rather than confirming it, or skipping the wheel chocks on a drive-on lift. The Automotive Lift Institute covers this in detail, and it is worth reading in full if you operate lifts regularly. All three mistakes are avoidable in the first sixty seconds of the job.
The Two Kinds of Lifts, and Why It Changes Everything
Before the how, you need the what. Nearly every lift falls into one of two families, and they are operated differently.
A frame-engaging lift grabs the vehicle by its body. The arms reach in and lift pads contact the manufacturer's reinforced lifting points along the rocker panel or frame. The wheels hang free. The classic example is a 2-post lift, and this is the type where correct lifting-point placement matters most. Shops favor frame-engaging lifts because leaving the wheels free gives full access to brakes, suspension, exhaust, and tires all at once, which is why they dominate general repair bays despite requiring more care to set up correctly than a drive-on model.
A wheel-engaging lift carries the vehicle by its tires. You simply drive onto runways or a platform and the whole car goes up sitting on its own wheels. Most 4-post lifts, parking lifts, and many scissor lifts work this way. There are no lifting points to find, but you must center the vehicle and chock the wheels.
Knowing which family your lift belongs to tells you exactly which of the steps below apply. You can compare every configuration on Daytona's master automotive lifts hub.
How to Use a 2-Post Lift (Frame-Engaging)
The 2-post is the most common shop and home lift, and the one that demands the most care, because you are choosing where the lift touches the car. Get the lifting points right and it is rock solid. Get them wrong and you can bend a rocker, pop a windshield, or drop the vehicle.
Step 1: Find the Lifting Points
Check the vehicle's owner manual or the door-jamb decal for the manufacturer-recommended lifting points. Most cars have four, located just behind the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels along the reinforced pinch-weld seam. When in doubt, the ALI Vehicle Lifting Points Guide is the definitive reference. Never improvise a contact point.
Step 2: Spot the Vehicle Over the Load Center
Pull the vehicle in so its center of gravity sits between the columns, not ahead of or behind them. On rear-wheel-drive cars the center of gravity usually sits below the driver's seat; on front-wheel-drive cars it sits a little farther forward, under the steering wheel. Resist the urge to slide the car forward just to open a door more easily. Put it where it balances.
Step 3: Set the Arms and Pads
Swing the arms in and extend them so all four pads sit squarely under the lifting points. Adjust pad height with the screw or telescoping adapters as needed so the vehicle will rise level. Trucks, vans, and SUVs often need height adapters to clear the rocker panel. Use only adapters made for your lift. Never stack wood blocks or fabricate your own, which is dangerous and can void the lift's certification.
Step 4: Raise a Few Inches and Test
Raise the vehicle until the tires are roughly four to six inches off the floor, then stop. Push and rock the car firmly. If a single arm can be wiggled while the other three bear weight, the load is uneven. Lower it, reposition, and try again. This shake test is the most important ten seconds of the whole job.
The Even-Load Rule
The vehicle's weight must sit evenly across all four arms. On a 10,000 lb lift, each arm is rated for 2,500 lbs. Do not overload one end, and never lift on just one side or with one arm. If anything feels unbalanced, it is.
Step 5: Lift to Height and Set the Locks
Once stable, raise to your working height. You will hear the safety locks clicking as you go. When you reach height, release pressure so the lift settles down onto the nearest mechanical lock. Visually confirm every pad is still seated before you put any part of your body under the vehicle. The hydraulics raise the car; the locks hold it.
How to Use a 4-Post, Parking, or Scissor Lift (Wheel-Engaging)
Drive-on lifts are more forgiving because the load spreads across the tires and platform, but they have their own rules.
Center the vehicle on the runways or platform so the front tires sit an equal distance from each edge, and stop where the manufacturer marks the load center. Turn the engine off, put it in park or gear, and chock the wheels. Drive-on lifts have roll-off stops at the ends, but chocks are what actually keep the car from rolling.
Raise to height, then set the lift onto its mechanical lock ladders so each corner is level and supported. If you need the wheels free for brake, tire, or suspension work, that is what a rolling jack is for. Slide it between the runways, raise the end you need, and lower it onto its own safety latch before reaching in. Daytona rolling jacks are engineered to fit Daytona lifts specifically, so confirm compatibility before ordering. Always lower a wheels-free jack completely before driving the vehicle on or off.
Scissor lifts bolt to the floor as a pad and skip columns entirely, which makes them quick to use but very sensitive to a level slab. The lifting logic is the same: center, lift a little, confirm stability, then raise and lock.
How to Use a Motorcycle or ATV Lift
A motorcycle and ATV lift is the simplest of all, but a tipping bike is no small thing. Roll the machine onto the platform, secure the front wheel in the chock, and strap it down before you raise it. Confirm the platform is on a flat, solid surface, raise to height, and set it onto its mechanical lock. For ATVs, set the side extensions so the platform fully supports the wider stance.
Car Lift Strap Safety Tips
Straps show up in two places on a typical lift job: securing a motorcycle or ATV to its platform, and, less commonly, as sling-style adapters used on some frame-engaging lifts when a vehicle's factory lifting points cannot be reached with standard pads. In both cases, the strap is a load-bearing safety component, not an afterthought, and it deserves the same inspection habit as the lift itself.
Before every use, check the full length of the strap for fraying, cuts, cracked stitching, or a damaged buckle, and retire any strap that shows wear rather than pushing another cycle out of it. Confirm the strap's rated capacity comfortably exceeds the weight it will carry, keep it flat against the frame or tire rather than twisted, and make sure the buckle or ratchet is fully engaged and cannot slip under load. Never use a strap as a substitute for a lift's mechanical safety lock; a strap secures the vehicle to the platform, it does not hold the platform up. If a strap needs to bear meaningful weight during the lift itself, use only a strap or sling rated and sold for that specific lift, the same rule that applies to lift pads and adapters.
Quick Reference: Lifting Points and Capacity by Lift Type
| Lift Type | How It Lifts | Key Operating Step |
|---|---|---|
| 2-Post (frame-engaging) | Pads under body lifting points, wheels free | Set all four pads to OEM points, shake test |
| 4-Post / Parking | Drive-on runways, tires bear load | Center vehicle, chock wheels, set lock ladders |
| Scissor | Pad under frame or runways | Confirm level slab, lift and lock |
| Motorcycle / ATV | Platform under chassis | Chock and strap, then raise and lock |
How to Lower a Car Lift Safely
Most guides obsess over lifting and gloss over coming down, which is where carelessness creeps in. Treat lowering as deliberately as raising.
- Make sure no tools, jack stands, or equipment are under the vehicle, and that all doors are closed.
- Alert anyone nearby that the lift is coming down.
- Raise slightly first to take weight off the safety locks, then release each lock.
- Lower smoothly and watch that both sides, or all four corners, descend evenly.
- Bring it all the way to the floor before driving on or off.
Stay at the control the entire time you raise and lower. Never walk away mid-cycle, and never block or disable a lock or limit switch to save a few seconds.
A Note on Certification, Warranty, and Indoor Use
If code compliance matters in your jurisdiction, lift certification is granted per model, not per brand. Daytona's ALI Certified BR10-2OH-33 overhead 2-post lift is independently tested to the ANSI/ALI safety standard, and you can verify any model in the ALI Directory of Certified Lifts. Across the rest of the line, the focus is built-in safety: automatic locks with single-point release, height limit switches, aircraft-quality cables on 4-post models, and the 5-2-1 warranty. One firm rule: all Daytona equipment is rated for indoor use only, and outdoor installation voids the warranty.
If you have not set the lift up yet, or you want a refresher on the foundation it sits on, our guides on how to install an automotive lift and how thick your concrete needs to be cover everything underneath a safe operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use a car lift step by step?
Spot the vehicle over the lift's load center, set the arms or runways to the manufacturer's lifting points, raise it a few inches and shake it to confirm stability, then lift to working height and lower it onto the safety locks. Always lower fully before driving on or off.
How do you operate a car lift?
Operating a car lift means walking it through its full cycle safely: inspect the equipment before use, position and spot the vehicle correctly, raise it a few inches to confirm stability, continue to working height, and lower it fully onto the mechanical safety locks before anyone works underneath. Stay at the controls the entire time the lift is moving.
What is a car lift?
A car lift, or automotive hoist, is shop equipment that raises a vehicle off the ground so a technician can work underneath or around it safely. It either grips the vehicle at reinforced body lifting points or carries it on its own wheels via runways, and it holds the vehicle in place with mechanical safety locks once it reaches working height.
What is a frame-engaging lift?
A frame-engaging lift is a type of car lift, most commonly a 2-post lift, that raises a vehicle by contacting the manufacturer's reinforced lifting points along the body or frame rather than carrying it on its wheels. Because the wheels hang free, it gives full access to brakes, suspension, and exhaust work, but the lift pads must be placed at the correct points every time.
How do you lift a car?
Drive or position the vehicle so its weight is centered on the lift, set the arms or runways to the correct contact points, raise it a few inches and rock it to check for stability, then continue raising to the height you need and lower it onto the mechanical safety locks before working underneath.
Where do you put the arms on a 2-post lift?
Place the lift pads at the vehicle manufacturer's recommended lifting points, usually reinforced spots along the pinch-weld seam just behind the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels. Check the owner manual, door-jamb decal, or the ALI Vehicle Lifting Points Guide, and never improvise a contact point.
How high should you lift a car before checking it?
Raise the vehicle only about four to six inches, then stop and rock it firmly to confirm all contact points are secure and the load is even. If any arm can be wiggled while the others bear weight, lower the vehicle, reposition, and test again before going higher.
Do you need to chock the wheels on a drive-on lift?
Yes. On a 4-post, parking, or other drive-on lift, put the vehicle in park or gear and chock the wheels before raising. The lift's roll-off stops are a backup, but wheel chocks are what actually prevent the vehicle from rolling on the runways.
Do I have to set the safety locks before going under the car?
Always. The hydraulics raise the vehicle, but the mechanical safety locks are what hold it. After reaching working height, lower the lift onto the nearest lock and visually confirm every contact point before any part of your body goes under the vehicle.
Are lift straps safe to use?
Yes, as long as they are inspected before every use and rated for the load. Check for fraying, cuts, or a damaged buckle, keep the strap flat rather than twisted, and confirm the buckle or ratchet is fully engaged. Straps secure a vehicle to a platform, such as on a motorcycle lift, but they should never replace a lift's mechanical safety lock as the thing actually holding the vehicle up.
What's the procedure for operating a vehicle hoist?
A vehicle hoist is operated the same way as a car lift: center the vehicle over the load point, set the contact points correctly, raise a few inches to test stability, then continue to working height and lower onto the mechanical safety lock before working underneath. Always lower the hoist fully to the ground before driving the vehicle on or off.
Can you use a car lift by yourself?
Yes, operating a properly installed lift is a one-person job once you are trained on that specific model. Spotting an awkward or heavy vehicle is easier with a second set of eyes, but the lifting cycle itself is designed for a single operator who stays at the control throughout.
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- 5-2-1 Limited Warranty (5 years structural, 2 years power, 1 year parts)
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